University of Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks wasn’t on many bingo cards when the Minnesota Vikings were on the clock with the 18th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. While there were no questions about his talent and potential, he did have injury concerns, and many saw him as an extremely raw prospect.
Unsurprisingly, with Banks missing all of OTAs and minicamp after breaking his foot at the NFL Scouting Combine, he reinforced the concerns about him being raw in the preseason opener against the Giants. Banks was put in a blender at a few different points, and even New York’s backup offensive line occasionally got the best of him.
Pro Football Focus (PFF) tagged Banks with a 30.4 overall grade, which was the defense’s worst score in the contest. However, Will Ragatz of Bring Me The Sports also mentioned that he wasn’t the only rookie DT to struggle mightily in the matchup. Domonique Orange, whom the team selected in the third round, also finished with a PFF grade of 45.0.
“It wasn’t a great debut for the Vikings’ two rookie defensive tackles, who both got pushed around a bit in the run game. There will be a lot for D-line coaches Ryan Nielsen and Pat Hill to go over with Banks and Orange in the film room.” Ragatz wrote.
The University of Florida product shared that sentiment. “There are some things that I need to work on, definitely pad level,” Banks said. “Just playing some blocks, but that comes with the game. It’s going to take time.”
The Same Concerns Were Littered Throughout Caleb Banks’ College Tape
Caleb Banks is a physical specimen, but he’s also totally unrefined. He doesn’t yet play with quality technique, and often survived throughout his time at Florida by overpowering opposing offensive linemen with brute strength and impressive quickness for a player with his measurables (6’6″, 325 lbs.).
NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein highlighted the areas that Banks needed to improve most when evaluating him this offseason. Two of the biggest weaknesses on his draft profile were listed as the following:
- Plays with high hips, losing ground to double teams.
- Takes time to disengage and tackle his gaps.
Again, Banks is raw. It’s no surprise to see those weaknesses showing up early on in his career, especially with the lack of a real offseason to work through them.
Banks Could Be Dangerous If He Works Out The Kinks
On the bright side, Banks’ debut wasn’t a complete disaster. He still showed some of the promise that led the Vikings to pull the trigger on him in the first round on a few plays. Banks nearly had a TFL after blowing through a blocker at the snap and held his own on a few other reps.
It’s obviously going to take some time before Banks comes close to realizing his potential, but there’s no denying just how much potential he does possess. He fits the rare Chris Jones archetype that shows up in the pre-draft process once every couple of years. That profile has yet to replicate Jones’ path to superstardom, but that is what Brian Flores and Co. will be attempting to conjure.
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